Majority Opinion Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Majority Opinion - Case Study Example Since there was no evidence to the effect that students were required to profess the religious views presented in the books, then the plaintiffs, in this case, had no good basis of claiming that the requirement to read from the books amounted to the violation of the constitutional rights of the students and their parents. The basis that would well serve to make the requirement unconstitutional is if the students were compelled to do something that is against their religious belief, such as profess the religious views presented by the books (Shelly, 1994). The students were not required by any means to affirm the religious views presented or even practice such views. There was an assumption on the sides of the plaintiff that having the religious vies which was in contrast to their own belief presented in the form of poetry or fiction, entitled the children to believe in them. To indicate lack of consistency in the arguments presented by the plaintiff, one of them, Mrs. Frost held that it was all right to have their children taught other religions and philosophies, as long as such teachings did not undermine her religious beliefs, or the children had to be instructed on the error of the other religion (Fish, 1999). This serves to show that the plaintiffs believed their religion was the only one acceptable and thus, could be taught without the indication of its errors, while the other religions and philosophies had to underline this fact. This is an erroneous view of the intentions of the education system, in that it seeks to create wider knowledge, and thus cannot be limited to one religion. Another major aspect that offers support for the majority opinion by chief judge Lively is the fact that there appears an observed tendency of the plaintiff to interpret virtually everything theologically (Suber, 1987). Mrs. Frost holds that everything has to be interpreted in the Biblical perspective, arguing that there is no possible way, in which issues such as evolution a nd telepathy could be taught, without violating her religious beliefs.